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The Truth About Fairies

Running Time:

5:58

Release Date:

26 Oct 2009

Today we think of fairies as good. This was not always the case. Join us was we travel back in time to see what our ancestors thought of them. In the video we will learn how to guard ourselves against their magic. We also meet some people who claimed to have seen real fairies.

About The Video

Introduction

Most People Believe That Fairies Are Good

Nowadays, if you were to ask people what they thought about fairies, they would probably say that they are nice and good natured creatures.

But The Truth Is That Maybe Fairies Can Do Bad Things

This view of fairies has not always been the case, in the past our ancestors saw them very differently. They thought of fairies as menacing beings, to be feared. This rather humorous video takes a look at the folklore of fairies.

Our Ancestors Have Left Us Advice About Fairies

Bad Things Fairies Do

Some of the tricks that fairies were supposed to play on humans were just a bit mischievous. What today we might call pranks. When you wake with your hair tangled these were called elf-locks. Another bit of fun fairies had would be to make you loose your bearings, when you were out, making you lost.

They Will Tangle Your Hair And Make Elf-locks

They Will Confuse You And Make You Lost

When little things went missing, this was blamed on fairies. It was also believed that fairies would ride on animals, and that this could make them ill.

Fairies Steal Small Items

Fairies Will Ride Animals And Make Them Ill

Changelings

A lot of fairy stories are about changelings. Changelings are fairy children that are left in place of human babies.

Fairies May Take A Baby And Leave A Fairy Child In It's Place

It is not just children that fairies were supposed to abduct, older people could also be taken. In particular risk were women who had just given birth. No one was sure about the fate of people taken by fairies, some believed that they lived a happy life, others thought that they became sad and pined for their lost family and friends.

Fairies Can Kidnap People And Leave A Corpse Made Of Wood

Ideas About Where Fairies Come From

One idea that was popular, was that fairies were the dead, or some form of the dead. Today we could well call them ghosts. Another belief was that fairies were some form of an ancient and immortal creature.

Fairies Are The Dead Brought Back To Life

Fairies Are Immortals Hiding From Humans

There was a theory that fairies were "demoted angels". One story is that when a group of angels revolted, God ordered heaven's gates to be closed. Those who were in heaven stayed as angels, those who were in hell became devils, and the rest of the angels became fairies.

Fairies Are Bad Angels Locked Out Of Heaven But Not Evil Enough For Hell

Another idea is that fairies were really just demons or devils. So if you were suspected of having contact with fairies, you could be accused of witchcraft. If you were found guilty of witchcraft, this would mean a very unpleasant fate!

Some Believe That Fairies Are Really Devils

More Ideas About Fairies

It was mostly agreed that fairies looked very similar to humans, but that they were blessed with magical powers.

People Do Agree That Fairies Look Like Humans And Have Magical Powers

A full moon seemed to be a time that fairies were most active. Fairies would come out and loved to dance in the light of the moon.

They Like Bluebells And Love To Dance When There Is a Full Moon

No one was quite sure where fairies lived, but it was often thought that fairies lived underground, buried in hills. Another suspected trick that fairies could perform was to be able to change their appearance, turning into animals such as birds, toads or butterflies. Today we call this magical trick "shape shifting".

Fairies May Live Underground Buried In Hills

Fairies Can Disguise Themselves As Birds, Toads Or Butterflies

Things To Avoid

If you were to meet fairies, it was advised not to look them straight in the eye, and also to avoid thanking or talking about them.

Do Not Look A Fairy In The Eyes

Fairies Do Not Like To be Talked About Or Thanked

It was thought that fairies were very vain, so it was not a very good idea to make any comments about them being ugly, which was probably why it was advised not to talk about fairies at all.

Fairies Are Vain And Do Not Like To Be Thought Of As Ugly

In past times you would be very careful not to disturb fairies. Two very important things to avoid were digging in fairy hills, and making sure that if you chopped down a tree, that it didn't belong to a fairy.

Do Not Dig In Fairy Hills

Do Not Chop Down Fairy Trees

If you house blocked a fairy track, then the advice was to leave your front and back doors open, to allow the fairies to still be able to use their paths. Another tip was if you were ever entertained by fairies to avoid eating their food. If you ate fairy food it was believed that they may abduct you.

Do Not Block Fairy Paths

If You Eat Fairy Food, They May Abduct You

Another piece of advice was to be careful about accepting gifts or payment from fairies. Fairies could use magic to change the appearance of items. One typical example is to beware of fairy gold. It might look like gold, but it will quickly change back to something worthless.

Do Not Accept Fairy Gold

It Will Turn Into Something Worthless

One particular gift not to give fairies was clothes, but if for some reason you did give fairies clothes, then it was advised to make sure they were of good quality. It was also thought that fairies were not happy with misers.

Do Not Give Fairies Clothes, If You Do Make Sure They Are Of Good Quality

Fairies Hate Misers

Protection From Fairies

If you thought you had fairies living in your house, it was strongly advised to keep it clean and tidy. If the fairies considered your house dirty or untidy, they would take revenge by playing tricks on you, such as tweaking you when asleep.

If You Have Fairies In The House Make Sure You Keep It Clean

A rather strange protection was to wear your clothes inside out. Another more traditional way to keep yourself safe was to find and keep a four leafed clover.

Wear Your Clothes Inside Out

A Four Leafed Clover

Cold iron was considered the most potent form of defence against fairies. It was like poison to them and they would keep well away from it. Salt was another item that was used to keep fairies at bay.

Fairies Do Not Like Cold Iron

Fairies Do Not Like Salt

There were other items that it was believed that fairies hated, including bread and running water. It was also thought they feared the sound of bells, especially church bells.

Fairies Hate Bread

Fairies Do Not Like Running Water

Fairies Do Not Like To Hear Church Bells

Finally, after learning about all these protections, there is one last piece of advice to leave you with. If you take a baby out late at night, put some bread in its clothes, to protect the child from being abducted by fairies.

Protect Babies If You Are Taking Them Out At Night

People Who Claim To Have Seen Fairies

William Blake was a poet and an artist. He work was rather mystical and sometimes he painted fairies.

William Blake

William Blake also claimed to have seen fairies. This conversation is recorded by Allan Cunningham in his "Lives Of Eminent British Painters".

"Did you ever see a fairy's funeral, madam?" said Blake to a lady who happened to sit next to him. "Never, Sir!" said the lady. "I have," said Blake, "but not before last night." And he went on to tell how, in his garden, he had seen "a procession of creatures of the size and colour of green and grey grasshoppers, bearing a body laid out on a rose-leaf, which they buried with songs, and then disappeared".

However, many people think that William Blake was a bit mad, so maybe he made it up.

The Fairy's Funeral by John Anster Christian Fitzgerald

The Cottingley Fairies

In 1917, two cousins, Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths took 2 pictures of fairies. At the time Elsie Wright was 16 years old and Frances Griffiths 10 years old. The photographs were taken next to a small stream at the bottom of the garden of the house where the two girls lived.

Frances Griffiths With The Cottingley Fairies

Within a couple of years the images became public, and opinions were divided as to their authenticity. Even Elsie Wright's parents disagreed, her father thought they were fakes, whereas her mother believed they were real.

At this time Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the famous author of Sherlock Holmes, heard of the photographs. Conan Doyle, a great believer in spiritualism, borrowed copies of the images and showed them to colleagues, who mainly thought they were fakes. As the family seemed very "honest and respectable" it was decided to persuade the two girls to take some more photographs, with a camera provided to them. This would then prove the truth.

On Thursday, 19 August 1920, the girls took two more pictures with the final one taken two days later. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was now a believer and wrote articles, and based a book on the images.

Over the years there was much debate, but eventually in 1981 the two, who were then elderly ladies, admitted they were fakes.

However, right until her death Frances Griffiths maintained that there were indeed fairies at the end of the garden. She also said that the fifth picture was not fake!

In 1985 talking of the incident Elsie Wright said:

"Two village kids and a brilliant man like Conan Doyle - well, we could only keep quiet."

In the same interview Frances Griffiths stated:

"I never even thought of it as being a fraud - it was just Elsie and I having a bit of fun and I can't understand to this day why they were taken in - they wanted to be taken in."

Although the two girls may have been slightly naughty, we should forgive them for their little lie, and maybe there really were fairies at the bottom of their garden.

Elsie Wright With The Cottingley Fairies

Cutting Room Floor

As all our videos are under 6 minutes in length, we sometimes cannot fit in all the great things we want to say. So here are bits that ended up on the cutting room floor, that we didn't want to throw away.

The Cottingley Fairies

Here are the other three photographs that Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths took of fairies at the bottom of their garden.